Posture chair



June 3, 1952 T. H. VAN BUREN POSTURE CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 1' Filed May 7, 1951 ATTORNEY June 3, 1952' T, VAN BUREN 2,599,301

POSTURE CHAIR 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May '7, 1951 Ftoill P 22.6K 5O m" 26 ATTORNEY June 3, 1952 r. :HL V'AN 'BUREN POSTURE cHAI R v 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 7, 1951 INVENTOR Dacy H VarzBurew.

ATTORNEY T. H. VAN BUREN June 3, 1952 POSTURE CHAIR Filed May 7, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR" Tracy HJVazzBurem.

ATTORNEY June 3, 1952 T, VAN BUREN 2,599,301

POSTURE CHAIR Filed May 7, 1951 5 Sheets$heet 5 11 INVENTOR F p 0 ,flacyl-Lva'n/ Bureru.

ATTORNEY Patented June 3, 1952 BOSTURE CHAIR".

Tracy HenryVan Biuren, sturg-isrzMichzaassigncre to Sturgisz; Posture: Chair; Comnfi ysr: Stm Sa. Mich-. a corporation of Michigan;-

Applicatifln May 7; 1951,- Serial'No. 2243978" :013Aimsa. (Cl. 155'-i-158:)1=

This invention relatesto=posture'chairs otthe kind used by 'typists; telephone operators and other workersandismoreparticularly concerned with'novel improvementsin the construction ofthose 'parts which cooperate to-support 'thaback rest of the'chairr,

The back rest'is one-of the most important elementspf chairs of thetype-mentioned.- The-comfort of the personusingsuchchair depends-upon the proper support derived from-the back-rest: In actualuse the back "restisrthe element-amon the others. that. is: subjected to the most exigent stresses due'to the constant shifting ,and-=twistingzof thebody of the person under normaliworkhabits... Accordingly, the back rest must notionly yieldgto these stresses in 3 order to preserve its proper position relative. to the body of theperson. usingthegchair but; at .the same time, it must be so constructedas to prevent it from moving :out of the proper relative. position. In'other words. the. back rest; should, be so constructed and mounted. as ,t0.fe1fto the user asif it weree part. ofhisbody, and ivetfurnish the support for his back...

One ofithe..-important problems in. providing chairs to function in.-.th'e manner indicated'ispthe elimination. of I loose .fitsof thesupportingparts while, at the same time,grendering..the.back rest yieldable to the normal Imovements, of the body of the. person both ..with..respect to .side-to-side movements and upeanddown movements ,soithat it. will. notassume. abnormaland uncomiort'able positions.

The-general objectsof .this invention isv the pro-,- vision :ofachair. of. the type mentioned. in ,which the. back rest-is .supported in such a' way. as to meet the, requirements --setforth above:

Other objects andaadvantages of the. invention will appear more. fully from -the.,following,. de-. scription in which. reference. is .-made.-to. the ac.- companying. drawings.v

In the drawings;

Figure-'1 is a. perspective viewof theback. of achairof. the-type mentioned illustrating one embodiment of the-invention.

Figure 2 is :an end view of the same-embodie ment." 7

Figure 3 israt perspective vieweof the-clamp member at 'thBFtOPTOf-thB supporting posts.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the cover member at the bottom ;ofg,the.supporting posts.

Figure. 5 is a. perspectivewiew. of. the bottom supporting bracket.

Figure 6 is an exploded perspective iew partly in section oftheprincipal-mechanical elements of the .said embodiment.

Figures'l'is aperspective view-of the back of aechainofzthe typementioned:,illustratingz aasecorrd'i embodimentofvthejnventiom- Figurerfi'iisawview. similar. toyFigurerflTWith some parts removed to show the upper construction of the second embodiment.

Figure 9 is a section along the line 9-9 of Figure. 6.' v

Figure: lb' isi a -section :along the line H1 'of Figureetls Referring witmmore particularity to the drawing in whiclr like numerals designate like parts the:embbdimentfillustrated in Figures 1 to 6 and 9' comprises a pair of spaced uprights or posts 24 and iz of squa're or -rectangular cross section,- preierabl y' --=hol low.- These-members are secured to -a=hori-zontal U bracket 23 at thebottom, which bracket --is" pi-vota-lly attachedto-a frame member or **=members-- such -as the "channel 24 under the seat-"of the chaimby-meansofa pintle 25.

Beneath -the -bracket 23 a plate member 26 is also--secured-=to -said posts; said plate member having=an inwardly projectingarm 2? the outer end of Whichis bifurcated-"and made circular to provide twospaced --ca-m-like-'members 28--and 25 which "are seatedbetween the flanges 39 and 3 l of-a,;vertical-' spool 32 and straddling the shank thereof? S9 id*'SpO0]; 32"iS 'sl-idablyymounted on a:vertical'th'readed-shaft 33; the upper end of the shaft beingsecuredto the said channel frame member-24 organy" other frame member rigid therewith.;.. Thebo-ttompfthe spool is secured toia nut 34 .h-avin-gfinger; grips" 35 land which is "threadedl'y; engaged'with the shaft 33. By adjusting thegpositicn ofithe,nutfi l on the shaft 33'the'..posts:-2l*"and;,22"are caused to pivot or tilt about-the-pintle '25.

On top of the'posts 2i and 22 thereis disposed a removable assembly which carries a floating baclQrestSB'. Thisassembly comprises a loop or- 'bowedmember 31 ofjspring steel or other suitable :resilient materiah The ends 38 of said bowedmemberare inwardly, disposed and secured to.-th'e.;backof ithe'backj rest 36 by screws, rivets or.other suitable-means 39.; The middle section 4030fsaidbowed-"member is, inwardly recessed andis secured to;the .top-of a-fiat plate bracket in the bracketdL; The .outerendp e b has airubb'errcoyergknob.48 to facilitate. manual,

tumihathereofil.

B ...meansmfjthei.ccnstruct cn; escri ab v itgisiapparent -thet;thisrinventionmrovides; a re-'.

silientl -,yieldah1e; floatin snpportifor. the back.

rest member ofth'eeh'air. The entire supporting assembly is rigidly held on the upright posts without any lost motion connections. This supporting assembly is vertically adjustable within limits, the limitation being imposed by the abutment of the top portion of the clamp member 44 against the top of the posts. While the limits of this adjustment may be varied by changing the vertical dimensions of the clamp member 44 it is important that the top or hood portion 49 of this member be provided for abutment with the top of the posts in order to prevent the inadvertent dropping down of the assembly completely against the seat of the chair during adjustments of the position of the assembly on the post.

A cover member 58 at the bottom of the posts serves to enclose or conceal from view that portion of the assembly at the bottom of the posts.

The second embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures '7, 8 and 10 differs from the first embodiment in the provision of posts 5! and 52 having a circular or other curvilinear cross section instead of a square or rectangular cross section. The use of the curved cross section posts requires modified means for securing the removable assembly to it without lost motion. The modified means, illustrated with reference to -a circular cross section, comprises a bracket 53 with curvatures 54 to fit partially around the outer sides of the posts. Complementarily thereto the clamp member 55 is provided with semicylindrical curvatures 56 which fit around the back of the posts substantially as shown. To provide a more secure fit of the removable assembly on the posts, projections 5! at either end of the bracket extend about half way around the outer sides of the posts and fit into recesses 58 provided on the sides of the clamp member 55. By these means when the bolt 59 is tightened to draw the clamp member and the bracket together, the ends of said projections 5'! abut the recessed edges 59, thereby preventing relative movement of these two parts while they are tightly engaged with the posts. The said recesses may also receive the resilient loop or bowed member 8!, as illustrated.

I claim:

1. In a posture chair having a floating back rest and a pair of spaced vertical posts for supporting said rest, a bowed resilient loop attached to the back of the said rest and having a portion thereof ofiset from the said rest, a bracket secured to said oifset portion, said bracket being adapted to be disposed across one side of said posts, a clamp member adapted to be disposed across the opposite side of said posts, said clamp member having a hood to extend over the top of said posts, said member also having sides to engage a portion of the lateral surfaces of said posts, the shape of said sides and lateral surfaces being complementary, and means for removably securing said bracket and clamp member to said post. 7

2. In a posture chair having a floating back rest and a pair of spaced vertical posts for supporting said rest, each of said posts having a rectangular cross section, a bowed resilient loop attached to the back of the said rest and having a portion thereof offset from the said rest, a bracket secured to said offset portion, said bracket being adapted to be disposed across one side of said posts, spaced projections extending from said bracket, said projections being adapted to abut the opposing inner faces of said posts, there being at least two projections for each post, a clamp member adapted to be disposed across the opposite side of said posts, said clamp member having a hood to extend over the top of said posts, the sides of said member being adapted to engage the rear faces and opposing outer faces of said posts, and means for removably securing said bracket and clamp member to said posts.

3. In a posture chair having a floating back rest and a pair of spaced vertical posts for supporting said rest, each of said posts having a curvilinear cross section, a bowed resilient loop attached to the back of the said rest and having a portion thereof offset from the said rest, a bracket secured to said ofiset portion, said bracket being adapted to be disposed across one side of said posts, a clamp member adapted to be disposed across the opposite side of said posts, said clamp member having a hood to extend over the top of said posts, said bracket and said clamp member each having curvatures to engage complementarily the curvatures of said posts and means for removably securing said bracket and clamp member on said posts.

4. In a posture chair having a floating back rest and a pair of spaced vertical posts for supporting said rest, each of said posts having a curvilinear cross section, a bowed resilient loop attached to the back of the said rest and having a portion thereof offset from the said rest, a bracket secured to said offset portion, said bracket being adapted to be disposed across one side of said posts, a clamp member adapted to be disposed across the opposite side of said posts, said clamp member having a hood to extend over the top of said posts, said bracket and said clamp members each having curvatures to complementarily engage the curvatures of said posts, means for removably securing said bracket and clamp member on said posts, said bracket and clamp members having complementary interlocking projections and recesses.

5. In a posture chair having a floating back rest and a pair of spaced vertical posts for supporting said rest, each of said posts having a curvilinear cross section a bowed resilient loop attached to the back of the said rest and having a portion thereof offset from the said rest, a bracket secured to said offset portion, said bracket being adapted to be disposed across one side of said posts, a clamp member adapted to be disposed across the opposite side of said posts, said clamp member having a hood to extend over the top of said posts, said bracket and said clamp members each having curvatures to complementarily engage the curvatures of said posts, means for removably securing said bracket and clamp member on said posts, said bracket having projections extending toward the clamp member, said clamp member having recesses for receiving and interlocking with said projections and with the offset portion of said bowed loops.

TRACY HENRY VAN BUREN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 764,286 Gilson July 5, 1904 899,504 Bolens Sept. 29, 1908 1,719,929 Ferris July 9, 1929 2,577,050 Van Buren Dec. 4, 1951 

